Morning sunlight spilled down.
Clouds and mist gathered and scattered among the mountain forests.
Fresh spring rain fell, and thunder rolled.
A brilliant radiance drove away the thunderclouds.
Above the mountaintop, the Flying Boat sailed through the air.
"Essence of Yi Wood is scattered all through these mountains?" On the boat, Xi Ran, now a young woman, gazed curiously into a mountain ravine. "I remember Fourth Senior Brother once wanted to take some to Junior Brother and give it to him outright as a show of sincerity."
"That would have meant asking Master and Martial Uncle to extract some Essence of Yi Wood and condense it into crystals for Junior Brother to absorb," said Chuiyunzi, seated at the stern. "But how could absorbing it that way compare to walking Azure Dragon Ridge himself? On that journey, he can not only absorb Essence of Yi Wood but also comprehend the mystery of Evergreen. After all, this place holds not just the Ancient God’s Remains, but also a severed section of Jianmu."
"I heard Martial Uncle say Essence of Yi Wood is extremely hard to gather. Once it's absorbed, it takes at least thirty years to replenish." Xi Ran leaned over the side of the boat and looked into the distance. "Azure Dragon Ridge is completely bare. There isn't a sign of anything. Is that severed wood really underneath it?"
Chuiyunzi nodded with a smile. "It's inside the mountain. They say the Winged Dragon's Divine Husk cradles it, preventing it from taking root and growing. The wood essence it releases can only seep into the surroundings and nourish the plants. That's how several little demons in the mountains entered the path, but they're creatures of another kind, without human bodies, so cultivation is difficult for them."
As they spoke, the Flying Boat